
Gaza hunger crisis ripples across health sector as Israeli blockade endures
Cairo/Geneva/Gaza: Palestinian baby Jenan Alskafi died in Gaza on Saturday after malnutrition and digestive problems, which her doctor said could not be treated because of a total
Israeli blockade
that aid agencies believe is undermining the entire population's health.
The four-month-old needed hypoallergenic milk formula - a normally common product now absent in Gaza - to help her with chronic diarrhea that caused malnutrition and left her too weak to fight infection, her doctor Ragheb Warsh Agha said from the Rantissi hospital in northern Gaza where Jenan died.
"I was torn into a thousand pieces," said Jenan's mother Aya Alskafi, describing the death of her baby, whose name means "paradise" in Arabic and who, according to her doctor, lost nearly half her bodyweight in her final days.
Israel cut most supplies into Gaza when the war began on October 7, 2023 with a Hamas attack, and although it allowed more aid into the enclave during a ceasefire from January, it imposed a total blockade when its devastating and deadly military campaign resumed in March.
The Israeli prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on malnutrition levels in Gaza and reports that vulnerable people, including children requiring supplements, had died as a result of the blockade.
Israeli officials have said they do not believe Gaza faces a hunger crisis, that enough aid has entered to sustain the enclave's population, and that they want to stop supplies coming under the control of Hamas.
Israel has also said it plans to expand its campaign, causing deepening distress for displaced Gazans.
With Gaza's fields inaccessible to civilians and its seas barred to fishermen, the territory depends almost entirely on food from outside, but the last delivery Israel allowed was on March 2, the final day of the ceasefire.
The United Nations and
international aid agencies
warn of an unfolding catastrophe, with U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA saying more than 2 million people - most of Gaza's population of 2.3 million - face severe food shortages.
Malnutrition is severely affecting children, pregnant women and people with chronic conditions, while also delaying the recovery of patients with serious war injuries, as aid stocks near depletion, several agencies said.
"The situation is getting worse every day. We have between 9,000-10,000 children who are treated for malnutrition," said Jonathan Crickx, communications head at the U.N. children's agency UNICEF.
Hunger is a particular problem because as well as hindering children's cognitive and physical development it weakens their immune systems and nearly all Gaza's people are homeless from the destruction caused by Israel's military campaign.
"You have a big pile of rubbish on top of which children are digging for a little bit of food. This is extremely concerning because it will definitely increase the number of children dying from preventable diseases," Crickx said.
The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 65,000 children have shown symptoms of malnutrition and the Gaza government media office said at least 57 people, mostly children, had died as a result of malnutrition since Israel closed the crossings on March 2. Both bodies are run by Hamas.
The Israeli prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the numbers.
MALNUTRITION
Hunger is not only aggravating health problems for children.
Medical charity MSF said it was seeing an increase in patients coming to hospitals with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension who lack enough food or food with sufficient protein, nutrients and vitamins.
An MSF clinic in Gaza City has also seen more patients coming for treatment of severe wounds, their conditions worsened by lack of access to food and clean water, the charity said.
"We have to keep cases for months in the hospital while in a normal situation, they would have been treated in a few weeks," said MSF medical coordinator Julie Faucon.
There are 350,000 patients with chronic conditions in Gaza, including cancer and diabetes, according to U.N. data.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society, the local affiliate of the
International
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, said it had no medication left for heart disease, hypertension, or diabetes, and no stocks of nutritional supplements or infant formula.
"Ambulances can barely run. Without food, water, medical supplies, or fuel, survival is becoming even more difficult. Humanitarian aid must enter into the Gaza Strip," it said in a statement to Reuters.
Pregnant women are at particular risk. "We stand up and get dizzy due to a lack of food. There are no eggs, meat, food, or drink. We are tired. We came to get pills, if we can find them, just so we can stand and move," said Ola al-Kafarna, a displaced pregnant woman.
Between 10-20% of 4,500 surveyed pregnant and breastfeeding women are malnourished, the World Health Organization reported in April. Malnourished pregnant women face issues including anemia, fatigue and preterm labour.
"They [mothers] are not getting enough calories a day and they are not producing milk. It's very difficult at the same time to find infant formula," Faucon said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
11 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump's new American green card policy triggers turmoil amid LA riots; what has changed, documents required, and other details
The Trump administration announced an immediate policy shift on Wednesday(June 11), requiring all American green card applicants to submit a new medical examination form, even if a valid version had already been submitted. The change affects Form I‑693, formerly known as the 'Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record.' The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stated that the medical form will no longer be valid for reuse if a green card application is withdrawn or denied, regardless of when it was completed. Also read: LA protest 2025: Who's fueling the unrest by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 息を呑むようなファンタジーの世界に足を踏み入れ、かつてないほどゲームを制覇しましょう レイドシャドウレジェンド 今すぐインストール Undo What changed Previously, under an April 2024 rule, any I‑693 signed by a civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023, could be used indefinitely, even if the applicant later refiled or changed visa categories. That flexibility is now gone. Live Events 'We have since determined that the April 4, 2024, policy is overly broad and could potentially threaten public health in the United States,' USCIS stated, adding that the shift would ensure applicants receive 'timely and proper medical examinations and treatment.' Starting June 11, 2025, anyone reapplying for permanent residency must retake the medical exam, even if their earlier I‑693 is still recent and technically valid. Added financial burden for applicants Medical exams by authorized civil surgeons can cost between $100 and $500, depending on the provider and region. Immigration attorneys warn that the sudden shift could mean many applicants will need to pay again. 'Time was that they would at least give you some grace period,' said immigration attorney Matt Cameron of Boston. 'This means that things that were in the mail this week are going to be invalid, potentially.' 'They have made every kind of contact with the immigration system more difficult,' Cameron added. The change follows similar abrupt shifts earlier this made last-minute changes to immigration forms in March 2025, triggering lawsuits and backlash that forced the agency to provide a two-week transition period. This time, there is no such buffer. A new version of the I‑693 form will become mandatory beginning July 3, 2025. Bigger picture The update comes as the Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement. Federal agents detained Mahmoud Khalil in March, a green card holder and Columbia University graduate, citing his support for pro-Palestinian protests as grounds for deportation under national security concerns. Other permanent residents have reportedly been detained after returning from abroad or had their green cards revoked, actions previously seen as rare but now increasingly frequent. Though USCIS emphasizes this is about public health, critics say it's part of a pattern: adding red tape, costs, and uncertainty to discourage legal immigration. The LA protests This policy change also comes against the backdrop of massive immigrant rights protests in Los Angeles, where tensions are reaching a boiling point. Over the past week, thousands have marched through downtown LA, outraged by federal immigration raids and the arrival of National Guard and Marine forces. Protesters accuse the government of militarizing their neighborhoods and breaking up families without accountability. Community groups have since held nightly vigils, some blocking streets to protest what they call 'deportation without justice.'


Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Indian Express
Israeli fire kills 35 in Gaza, many near an aid site, medics say
Israeli gunfire and airstrikes killed at least 35 Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday, most of them at an aid site operated by the U.S-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the centre of the coastal territory, local health officials said. Medical officials at Shifa and Al-Quds Hospitals said at least 25 people were killed by Israeli gunfire as they approached the aid site near the former settlement of Netzarim, and dozens were wounded. A total of 163 people had already been killed and more than 1,000 wounded trying to reach the handful of aid sites operated by the foundation since it began work two weeks ago after a three-month blockade, according to Gaza's health ministry. The United Nations has said the blockade brought the Palestinian enclave to the brink of famine and that food supplies remain critically low. The foundation said it was unaware of the incident but that it is working closely with Israeli authorities to ensure safe passage routes are maintained, and that it is essential for Palestinians to closely follow instructions. 'Ultimately, the solution is more aid, which will create more certainty and less urgency among the population,' it said by email in response to Reuters questions. 'There is not yet enough food to feed everyone in need in Gaza. Our current focus is to feed as many people as is safely possible within the constraints of a highly volatile environment.' The UN and other aid groups have refused to supply aid via the foundation, which uses private contractors with Israeli military backup in what they say is a breach of humanitarian standards. Gaza health officials said 10 other people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis in the south of the enclave. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the reports. On Tuesday, when Gaza health officials said 17 people were killed near another GHF aid site in Rafah in southern Gaza, the army said it fired warning shots to distance 'suspects' who were approaching the troops and posed a threat. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday there had been 'significant progress' in efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, but that it was 'too soon' to raise hopes that a deal would be reached. Despite efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to restore a ceasefire in Gaza, neither Israel nor Hamas has shown willingness to back down on core demands, with each side blaming the other for the failure to reach a deal. Two Hamas sources told Reuters they did not know about any new ceasefire offers. The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in an October 7, 2023, attack, Israel's single deadliest day. Israel's military campaign has since killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the densely populated strip, which is home to more than two million people.


New Indian Express
13 hours ago
- New Indian Express
More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel-Hamas war, Gaza health officials say
DEIR AL-BALAH: The Palestinian death toll from the 20-month Israel-Hamas war has climbed past 55,000, the Gaza Health Ministry said Wednesday. The ministry doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants, but has said that women and children make up more than half the dead. It's a grim milestone in the war that began with Hamas' attack into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and shows no sign of ending. Israel says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas, accusing the militants of hiding among civilians, because they operate in populated areas. The ministry says 55,104 people have been killed since the start of the war and 127,394 wounded. Many more are believed to be buried under the rubble or in areas that are inaccessible to local medics. Israeli forces have destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced about 90% of its population and in recent weeks have transformed more than half of the coastal territory into a military buffer zone that includes the now mostly uninhabited southern city of Rafah.